Many people think that their emotional state is almost exclusively due to the reality that they are experiencing. After all, basic biology and psychology teach the classic “stimulus-response” model in living organisms where a change in the environment will trigger a response in the affected creature. This is mostly true, as life forms that did no...
Read MoreEveryone knows that people love a good story. It helps them learn, remember things, and stay engaged in a presentation or conversation. But why is it such a more impactful way to convey information than simply stating facts, such as “2+2=4”? Because the story is a journey, and effective engagement, influence, and relationship-building follows th...
Read MoreI start arguments with people all of the time over something that seems pretty clear since it’s explicitly stated in the Four Noble Truths: The Four Noble Truths are: life is suffering; the cause of suffering is craving; the end of suffering comes with an end to craving; there is a path which leads one away from craving and suffering.
Read MoreAfter talking about how desires are a good thing despite some philosophies pointing out that they can sometimes cause you to to feel negative emotions, I thought I’d provide a short overview of how desires evolve over time. Whereas in my previous post I discussed how the endless number of desires you’ll have in your life is not necessarily a signal...
Read MoreDesire. Longing. Hunger. Craving. We all know what it’s like to have that burning wanting for or needing of something. Most motivational speakers will encourage you to go after it with everything you have and to crush any negative beliefs that are holding you back. But there is one issue—both a belief and a reality—that causes a lot of people...
Read MoreMistakes People Make in Their Search for Meaning When people are looking for their meaning in life, they will have trouble finding it if they make erroneous assumptions about how life works or what they’re supposed to do with the one that they’ve been given. Unfortunately, such fundamental assumptions are held sometimes without people having thoug...
Read MoreMosquitoes. People who cut you off in traffic. Unexpected bills. Mondays. If you’re like me, your heart rate is rising just thinking about these things. Yes, there will always be things in this world that you don’t like, and no one likes what they don’t like (by definition). So what can you do to alleviate the discomfort associated with this...
Read MoreSigns. They’re indicators that you should make a decision or take an action in life. There are real, tangible signals in life like your emotions. Your emotions are giving you critical feedback as to your current state of growth or harm. If you’re happy, you’re healthy and growing; if you’re afraid, there is a danger to your health and safety.
Read MoreWhen you can’t feel anything other than depression, loneliness, isolation, dread, or emptiness, getting back to normal can require a monumental amount of willpower and effort to push through the resistance and lack of motivation. Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet or perfect solution to the problem because there are several different causes...
Read MoreThis post is intentionally luring you in as the seeming beginning of a rant about how the world is one way but people refuse to accept it. On the contrary, however, seeing what you want to see is actually one of the keys to life and the secrets to happiness and success. To use it as a derogatory comment is pretty ironic in the grand scheme of thi...
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